07 Apr 2023
When Covid finally allowed us to go to Patagonia, the Fitz Roy walks were our first five-night stop. We chose shoulder season to reduce the crowds and were blessed with perfect weather. There were enough trails to easily accommodate our good luck. As for the walk to Fitz Roy, we did some reading and chose to start up Rte 40 just past El Pilar at Rio Electric trailhead. (We had a car--highly recommended luxury). This avoided the crowds leaving from out of the town and in our opinion, the much more scenic initial approach. At 70 and 68, we are not destination hikers, but rather seek hikes filled with beauty all along the way. We've walked all over the world, but this ties for first place. The famous peaks and spires, glaciers and their lakes and rivers, lingua forest, river valleys... The last bit is shared with those hiking the out-of-town route and got crowded. It gets you to the lake below the glacier and peaks. A steep up-and-down of one km each way. Worth it for many but an afterthought for us.